Avatar
Land in Disney Animal Kingdom Park
Disney is planning on adding an Avatar themed land to the Disney
Animal Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World. I think it is a bad idea as the movie
is not Disney and is just not real enough to be part of DAK. DAK is a reality
based park that is part Animal Park/Zoo and part theme park with rides and
shows. It is totally unique and the entire focus of the park is to encourage
people to learn about the world around them and how they can help protect
nature. Avatar, while encourage conservation and understanding of “nature” has
nothing to do with reality or our world.
The following is a description of what the plans are so far
for Avatar Land.
Avatar Land will be a themed area at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Lake
Buena Vista, Florida based upon the film franchise by James Cameron.
Construction will begin in 2013, with the land expected to open between 3 and 5
years later.
History
In Spring 2011, James Cameron was approached by The Walt
Disney Company's chief executive officer, Bob Iger,
regarding the possibility of Avatar-themed attractions in Walt Disney Parks
& Resorts.[4]
On September 17, 2011, a long-term, exclusivity deal was signed between Disney,
James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox Filmed Entertainment. This
deal was officially announced to the public on September 20, 2011, on the
Disney Parks Blog. The highlight of the announcement was that Disney's Animal
Kingdom would receive a new themed area dubbed Avatar Land. The area is
set to cost approximately $500 million. Construction is expected to begin in
2013, with a planned opening date between 3 and 5 years later. The deal could
see Avatar attractions added to other Disney theme parks in the future,
however, there are no immediate plans to do so.
Design
Avatar Land will be designed
by Walt Disney Imagineering with Avatar producers James Cameron and Jon Landau
also providing creative assistance. The area will be an immersive world based
upon the fictional exoplanetary moon, Pandora. Avatar Land is expected to
span several acres and will feature multiple rides and attractions,
entertainment, audio-animatronics, 3-D holograms
as well as retail, food and beverage outlets. Although exact details of the
attractions have not yet been announced or even devised, James Cameron confirmed that a flying
attraction featuring "3-D projections and creature designs that were cut
from the original film" was a concept on the drawing board for the area. Avatar Land will include elements from
the original Avatar film as well as its two, yet-to-be-released sequels.
Location
Although it has been announced that Avatar Land
will be added to Disney's Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney Imagineering is yet to
determine a precise in-park location. It has been reported that Avatar Land
will make use of the undeveloped land originally earmarked for the Beastly
Kingdom, a never-built themed land which would have been based around mythological
creatures.
Here is my letter to Disney World:
Dear Sirs
I am saddened to hear you are adding Avatar Land to Disney
Animal Kingdom. In many Disney Fan chat rooms and around the blogosphere the
chatter is overwhelmingly against the addition to DAK of a land based on the
movie Avatar. Please reconsider the entire idea!
DAK is a special place that focuses on the conservation of our
earth. Avatar Land is so strange an idea I think it will detract from the
unique park you have worked so hard to develop. Avatar is not even Disney
property so it is totally strange and out of place. Really, if you wanted to do
something Avatar or had to do something Avatar themed I’d say put a ride in DHS
as part of movie making.
I do agree you do need a new area in DAK and you need to bring
in some mystical/magical feelings. You need something more “Disney” less real
in other words. I have some ideas you may want to consider. I know your Imagineers
could do much better than I can in coming up with ideas. Every culture on earth
has a dragon myth. You already have a Dinoland so I think it would fit better
than an Avatar Land.
Having just seen pictures of the very real miniature dragon
lizard from Indonesia I thought it would be a neat way to combine both real and
mystical. How about a Dragon Land? Maybe you can acquire some of the fantastic little
creatures to display and therefore show the importance of protecting the environment.
They have been around for a long time but never “seen” until 2009 or so.
In Dragon Land you could add rides or shows that showcase some
of Disney’s famous and not so famous Dragons. Maleficent, Mad Madam Mim, Elliot
and Mushu come to mind. It is possible that these little creatures are the
basis of many of the old tales of dragons. You could add a show telling how
stories told grow into myth.
This is just a thought freely given with no thought of being compensated
for it. Feel free to use or reject any/all of the ideas and do what you do
best, make it better.
Carolyn Hoagland
What do you think about Avatar Land? If you don’t like the
idea write a letter to Disney! Here is a link to the Contact us page for WDW.
I am one of the visitors of your site. I hope you will show more such material or data to put in our use.
ReplyDelete